Transport for the Norths new Major Roads Report highlights how highways and other infrastructure such as cycleways and other roadways are integral to every journey. They are essential in enabling the journey to school, work, leisure as well as being vital for freight. The report also details the scale of the challenge of improving road safety as well as reducing the environmental impact of the network. 

The report provided some interesting figures, with some of them including:

• 97% of personal journeys in the North of England use our highways.
• Of these, 61% are by car or taxi, 26% walking, 9% on buses and 2% cycling.
• Just under 90% of car trips are under 10 kilometres.
• 88% of freight movements in our region use roads.
• Commuting and business trips account for around one-third of carbon emissions from cars.

The report aligns to the recently published Transport Decarbonisation Strategy for the North of England. This strategy, along with the Major Roads Report, state that policy measures to reduce travel by car, and future investment to make the use of our roads less carbon intensive, will be vital in meeting ambitious emission reduction targets.

TfN analysis of what is required to meet the goal of near-zero carbon emissions from surface transport in the North of England by 2045 reveals that:

• 55% of all new car sales need to be zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) by 2025.
• The distance travelled by car, van and HGV must be reduced.

Martin Tugwell, Chief Executive of Transport for the North, and CIHT's Immediate Past President, said: “In the last century motorised transport revolutionised our way of life, and as we move towards the second quarter of the 21st century our highways will continue to be a fundamental part of our transport system.

“However, as we look to address climate change, we will need to make choices about how we use the available highway space, with greater priority given to pedestrians, cyclists and public transport. We will also need to consider and agree on how we will pay for investment and indeed on how we pay to use our roads. We need to do things differently, but at the same time ensure that our way forward does not disadvantage those for whom travel by car is the only practical option.

“If we’re to have that debate then we must seize the opportunity to look at how the relative cost of motoring, bus travel and rail travel influences the choices we make. For only by looking at transport in the round will we be able to ensure that our investment choices are sustainable for the longer term.

“As the ‘one voice’ for the north, TfN is committed to ensuring that our roads are fit for purpose. We will work with government and its agencies to identify a way forward that is fair and sustainable, as part of a multimodal transport system that is truly fit for purpose.

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